Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I visited Crumlin yesterday, as it happens, and spoke to a number of families who have children and young people with autism. We spoke about lots of things such as school places and so on. The one issue that came up with them and that I hear again and again - it is not recent; it is a long-standing issue - is the means test for the carer's allowance.

I spoke to one woman yesterday who recounted how her husband has forgone three different pay increases because it would tip them over the edge in terms of the carer's allowance. They are not a well-off family. They are struggling to make ends meet. I put it to the Taoiseach, notwithstanding the work of the group he has set up to investigate the matter, that we need to accept as a matter of fact and principle that the means test has to be abolished. It is the smartest investment we will make as a State in our carers and in home caring.

I come back to the issue of July versus January.

We will move amendments to the Social Welfare Bill to move this back to January. I do not think it is a fair or reasonable explanation to tell people who are struggling as it is that they will have to wait for an additional six months because of some Government timetabling issue. When we move those amendments, I appeal to the Government to accept them.

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